Pressure the Hinges
by Harbinger Loki
Summary: Koraly Sunrose has no idea what has happened in the three months after the Cataclysm hit Azeroth. Going to Report to the leader of Horde, she ends up uncovering a surprise that she did not know about. She knew she should have seen Mazzy first.RnR Please!


Pressure the Hinges

Disclaimer: I do not own Blizzard though I might like their mountain of gold they sit on….

OC: Lot of them are owned by my boyfriend and I.

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"And now I'm running out of reasons.  
And I spoke too soon.  
The clock weighs on the counter top.  
Everything is sinking through the floor.  
You hold the door and I'll pressure the hinges.  
Would you trust these locks?  
And sleep to hide your secrets?  
Dodging bullets is easier when you don't believe in fate.  
And I swear, I swear we won't make it obvious when we turn around again."

-'Pressure the Hinges' Haste the Day

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The first thing Koraly saw when she returned from her spying in Stormwind was the builders outside of Orgrimmar. The builder's guild was busy, taking down and in some parts reinforcing the outer wall of Orgrimmar with the metals from Northrend, almost making the sin'dorei choke on her spit in fright. The orcs kept up their pace as they were building with her passing, none of them batting an eye at the red-headed elf. She did not greet any of them for they were strangers to her for the most part. These were all new employees, she noted.

Being a naturally nosy elf, Koraly had learned early on when she entered the Horde most of the leaders of the guild organizations to keep an eye on anyone she distrusted on instinct and to tell the Warchief about it. Biting her normally painted lips, rouge red, the elf frowned even more as she continued her walk through Orgrimmar. She had been in Stormwind during the large earthquakes until they had subsided enough for her to make her journey back to Grommash Hold to report to Thrall which was nearly three months ago when they started. The buildings were new, she noted, all reinforced with the black saronite mix that she had seen in Northrend when she had been told to investigate Sylvanas's plague and the Royal Apothecary Society before Varimathas's death.

The guards gave her pause. They were not Kok'ron elites. Their armor was different from the standard issue grunt, resembling more like the Northrend grunt armor. Perhaps Thrall had seen to it that the grunts got updated armor? The elf had a niggling, with a twitch of her ears at the softer bustle of the thoroughfare of Orgrimmar, which this was probably not the case but she knew that without facts, she could not do anything about it. Her steps became quicker with each section of town she came upon. She had not been able to spot any of the local troll shadow rogues.

Their light steps were usually on the rooftops while they stayed out of sight, but she heard nothing from the roofs and the people that she did see were almost all orcs with a few large tauren here and there. The spy frowned to herself at this revelation before going to an alcove on the side of the walks and staying there for a few moments to collect her thoughts.

She had to ask the Warchief what was going on. Did Vol'jin secede his army from Thrall's and if so, why? The question rang in her head as she slipped out of the alcove, stealthily hiding behind some of the vendors as her feet softly and steadily progressed to the Valley of Wisdom to only frown when she did not see Grommash Hold. Where was it? Did she miss that much? She had so much to tell Thrall and he had moved his throne? The woman snorted in derision. Of course everything had to be hard for her when she came back from a harrowing three months in the human capital. She doubted that there were orcs on the rooftops so she took the route of above the avenues from the Valley of Wisdom to head back to the Valley of Strength where there was a new fortress, she noted, but perhaps one of her orcish contacts had an idea of where the Warchief was.

Dodging people, trying to remain unnoticed, the thief could only hope she didn't stick out too much like a sore thumb. There were enough elves around that another elf would not be too circumspect in the Valley of Strength, however, she knew not to count on the numbers of elves to hide her. Moving quickly through the market to the auctioneers, Koraly noticed a few of her goblin friends at the tables with the magical auction books they had made a dozen years ago in the Undermines.

The Auction tables were not as crowded as they had been before the massive earthquakes making the elf only shake her head. Orgrimmar was usually bustling, noisy, and crowded enough that she would get pushed and tugged this way and that as she would usually come in through the gates in the main valley. It was then she saw Graelok Winterhoof, the leader of the mercenary company she was in.

He stood holding a few things, some she noted were children's toys that he was trying his best to hide with a few coverings of a robe, two sashes, and a pair of leather boots, more than likely for himself as they were made more for a Tauren than that of an elf. He was in full armor, which was unusual when she had ever seen him in Orgrimmar and he seemed to keep his eyes on the guards, shifting the bundle of objects in his hand every so often. This was not normal behavior for the normally uncaring (towards other people) druid she knew.

"Winterhoof!" Her voice called out as he neared where she stood. He glanced her way, recognition coming across his eyes as he nearly smiled. She reached over to him, moving to walk with him with a cajoling smile upon her own lips.

"Kora, it's been a few months since we last heard you. Your fia-Mazgrim has been slightly worried." He stopped short after mentioning the warlock, Mazgrim Poxweaver, who was in the company as well. The druid's blue eyes glanced at the guards again, moving with the spy as they walked out of the auction house. The woman twitched her ears at his behavior before speaking again.

"I've been out of the loop for a bit. I was wondering where the Warchief is. I have to go make a report soon from my neck of the woods." Graelok, with all his wisdom and almost white fur, knew what she meant. The few that knew exactly what she did in Stormwind were few, but it was a position she had willfully taken despite the long absences from being around Horde races.

"And when will you go see Mazgrim and Korgesh?" They stopped short of the new building in the Valley of Honor. Koraly's green eyes lit up at the mention of Korgesh. She bit her lower lip in thought of the child and the warlock, knowing that she really should leave the Warchief be and visit them first, however her duty to Thrall outweighed her own desires to go home. The Warchief truly needed to know what had happened in Stormwind during the disaster.

"After I give my report." The tauren nodded, glancing over to a mount stable with his mechano-hog parked in the front with a few others. His vehicle made the spy's lips widen into a smile. He had the armor plates detailed with snow and hoof prints in it. He tilted his dark grey mane towards the mechano-hog, smirking slightly.

"See that you liked it. Mazgrim has been talking of getting a mechano-hog and getting it detailed as well." The elf shook her head at the image before glancing at the stronghold near them. The druid nodded to himself, adjusting his leather with a shrug of his shoulders. "I have to get going. Report to Allarya later. She'll be at the Valley of Strength,"

"See you, Winterhoof." Koraly sighed, watching the druid walk away and put his things in the side car before putting his keys in the ignition and starting off with his beautiful chopper. The spy had to admit she wouldn't mind getting one or Mazgrim getting one, though with a shake of her head she had to focus on the task on hand before she could think about it.

Glancing at the large stronghold, her eyes took in its strong points and weak points. The windows on the second floor were accessible if she was strong enough to get up there, and it seemed there was little to no activity up there which usually meant it was the Warchief's living quarters. It seemed he liked to have the view of the sun rising. She took in the guards near the perimeters, pretending to be interested in some of the stocks of the nearby merchants, selling some things and asking a few questions here and there before deciding on how exactly she would get up there.

The crowd, even if it was smaller than normal was dispersing as evening approached only making her frown as she had to stay out of the guards' view to get to where she needed to be. A few of the guards were making the rounds as people slowly began to file out to the slums-elves, trolls, and the few forsaken she had seen all going that way- and to some of the nearby inns and homes-mostly tauren and orcs.

Edging around the crowd, passing some of the guards, Koraly slipped into the shadow of one of the homes, slipping into the back alley, hoping to not get the attention of any of the homeowners or businesses. Her feet were sure-footed, leading her to the first roof she had to climb. Glancing down the dark back alley, the elf hid herself in the shadows, setting out her cloak on the ground bits of her armor spread out along with her thief's tools. Keeping an eye out, her hands grasped the leather wrists she had made a few months before, tracing the insignia of her family name before lacing up the bracers on each wrist.

Her diligent fingers reached to her leather bodice and armor, tightening it so that she would be able to effectively sneak about. She undid her traveler's boots, the soft leather easing from her feet to lie upon the large cloak. With a soft sigh, she grabbed her leather fighting boots, lacing them up and ensuring that her hidden daggers on the insides were secure and the ones in the front were able to come out if need be. The spy tied them on her legs, standing up and making them snug against them. She undid the side strings of her dress, letting it fall to cover the last few things she needed to put on.

Her leather leggings, reinforced with vykrul magic for haste and silence, made no noise as she stood up, grabbing her thief's tools and placing them in her frostwoven belt pouch along with a potion of haste. She grabbed the rope and claw hook attaching it on her belt. The elf reached down, grabbing some tight black and red gloves with Kaisers on the knuckles, slipping them on her fingers. Almost everything was in place. Reaching for the last thing she needed, she slipped the helm over her head, effectively hiding her red hair and adjusting the partial face mask. Taking a long look at her surroundings, she frowned before leaning down and grabbing her cloak and shuffling her unimportant bags next to a vase, hiding it out of view of anyone beside a stoop.

The matter of time was little difference to her as long as the matter at hand was dealt with first. Glancing up at the roof she needed to reach, the elf smirked to herself, ready to test her abilities as an acrobat. Her body tensed slightly, leaning into the earth before jumping to the roof with her fingers catching the edge of the roof and lifting her up with little to no noise. The sky was dark, consumed by the night veil and the torches were starting to be lit. The elf knew she had enough cover of the darkness around her to make it to the stronghold.

Patiently, she tested her footholds with the balls of her feet before jumping over to another roof. Her feet carried her were security as instinct took over her senses and she let the sky fly by her as her destination came to fill her sight.

Stopping, she reached the last roof, glancing up at the saronite melded stronghold before chancing a look to the guards in the street below her. They were still the day guards, she noted, seeing some of the distinct markings etched around their shoulder and chest plates giving the rank and name. Smirking, rather cockily of her, Koraly eyed the protruding ledge she was going to use. Taking the rope and claw from her belt, she hoped that her aim would be true as she had no other chance to get up to the second floor without being seen.

Her rope and claw hung from her hand for a mere moment, swaying within her grip. Her fingers tightened as her eyes trained on her target, holding her breath behind her painted lips as the tool in her hands swung silently in a circle for momentum before being free to the air. With a soft chink, the claw embedded itself around the ledge, wrapping the rope twice around it. The elf grinned behind her mask at the success. Stepping back, she closed her eyes again, praying, before jumping off the roof she was on to land against the wall with her feet holding her up.

The sound of impact was soft though, thank the light and titans, the guards twenty feet below her were distracted by a drunken looking orc who was currently trying to burp his way through the orcish alphabet. Koraly nearly smiled to herself as the orc in particular was familiar. Graelok had sent her Kronk, the peon, a near blessing in disguise. Stopping herself from using the precious few moments of distraction, the woman groaned softly, pulling her body up with her arms to the large second story windows.

Landing against a ledge of one of the windows, she heard shuffling around the room, no light lit in the room saving her from any discovery. To be safe though, she leaned against the curve of the iron wrought ledge which was four inches wide. She closed her eyes, remembering a story from her mentor's words when she was a mere elf-kin child playing in Murder Row to do something fun. 'Imagine yourself to be smaller than whatever your foothold is. If you are smaller, you won't be seen.' The words resounded in her head as she counted backwards in Thalassian from six hundred.

The noises in the room quieted down after whoever occupied the room left with the door closing behind them. Watching her footing, Koraly reached for the seams of the window nearest her, gripping onto handholds as she paused, coming to the conclusion that she hated heights as much as possible, even if it was exhilarating breaking into Thrall's bedroom to bring him news. She enjoyed testing and seeing her boundaries lie with her breaking in. Thrall occaisionally tested her abilities with a few traps here and there, but with all of the recent developments, Koraly had a feeling he would lay none for her to play with.

Slipping her hand down to her boots, her fingers grasped the hilt of one of her hidden daggers, taking it from her boot. The precarious blade held steady in her hand as she inched the blade between the seam of the window. She slid the blade up, edgewise, hitting the latch after a moment and flipping it off the lock. The elf almost smirked behind the leather mask. Eyeing the rope in her other hand that was holding onto the windows, she frowned in thought before glancing at her dagger. Taking the rope, she wrapped it around dagger's hilt, stabbing a part of the robe and finding a seam in the ledge to put it in while she was to go see Thrall.

After ensuring her safe route back to the rest of Orgrimmar, Koraly opened up the window, swinging one pane in so she could slip past the curtains to see the inside of Thrall's personal chambers. Her feet landed on the wooden floor, letting her eyes take in the room. There was a small sitting area, where she was standing, with a brazier that was unlit. The chairs were wooden and made with animal furs adorning them. She frowned slightly. Thrall preferred his personal quarters devoid of a sitting area, having had a room away from his sleeping area. She took a moment to take the room in with her eyes adjusting to the total darkness of the room. The bed was large, not opulent by elven standards but it had fine cotton sheets from what she could see. The orc that lay in the middle of the bed was large.

Did Thrall put on more damn muscle? She frowned at the thought. It was no secret that Thrall practiced with very few people, though Vol'jin and he were known to spar throughout Orgrimmar on some days. She shook her head. Perhaps he had been lately tossing around with the orcish monstrosity that was the overzealous Overlord Hellscream. The elf inwardly shuddered at the idea of that man fighting. She knew he was tough if only by the one match she had seen with Thrall and Garrosh.

She moved slowly across the carpet, unable to see the leader's head or skin color. Across the room, on a table lay armor resting almost reverently. Her green eyes spied a can of armor-all, a preservative of armor. She almost laughed in the silence of the night, despite the Orgrimmar humble sounds, remembering that she needed to pick up a can from the local armory before heading to Tirisfal.

She glanced down as she reached Thrall's side, his body over-shadowed with darkness. Her fingers spread across his warm arm, jostling him slightly. The warchief in her experience was a light sleeper, usually making it more fun to break in for the added thrill.

"Warchief!" Her voice was hushed as her lips dipped into a frown. Why was he not waking? She tried calling out for him again. "Warchief! It's Koraly!" She smiled for a mere moment behind her mask as she could see that his eyes somewhat open before she gasped in surprise. That gasp of breath was taken from her as the large arm of the warchief backhanded her lithe form against the table where the armor lay, rattling it.

"Thrall? What the nether?" She questioned the orc before watching him stand up to his full height, and rush her. Unable to fully get out of his way, she rolled to the side, getting hit in her hip painfully by the side of his fist. The wood bench of the table cracked. Her eyes widened considerably as she saw the forearm with brown skin. Shocked at her stupidity, for she knew she should have checked where the nether dragon tits Garrosh was sleeping, she gasped for breath with his fingers holding her throat.

"Who the hell do you think you are entering the Warchief's bedroom, weakling?" Her fingers clawed at his hand on her throat. He held the elf easily up in the air by two and a half feet. His eyes were dark coals, burning with fire and something so frightening that Koraly wanted to just run and escape this orc. He grinned wickedly towards her, almost as if he enjoyed seeing her struggle. Something in the rogue snapped at his grin.

"You…..are…..not…..the…" Her words were grounded out between her lapses of gasping breaths. She moved one of her hands to adjust the Kaisers on her knuckles so they could be used. He had his arm open along with his wrist, she noted with her analyzing eyes with each fight for breath. Concentrating, she attacked his wrist with the hand out of his periphal vision, hitting a reflexive nerve that made his fingers spasm back. Released, the elf was running on adrenaline, grabbing air before jumping backwards. "WARCHIEF!"

Garrosh growled under his breath at the impudent little elf, coming into his room and demanding him to wake for her. He was the Warchief now and no one was going to tell him to do much of anything least of all to wake up during his sleep. Another punch hurtled towards the elf. Koraly evaded with her body falling back to the ground, tumbling backwards to her knees.

"Where is Thrall?" Her eyes challenged the acting leader, making his rage burn more for her impertinence. She tensed in her calves, springing up towards the warrior with her pitiful fists striking at his skin. The Kaisers scratched him as he side-stepped her spring. Her hand caught her momentum on the floor, springing her backwards into a flip on his wall for a mere moment. Her breath caught as her feet landed against the wall, perpendicular for a moment to the floor. Bounding off, her hands were used to somersault in the air to land past Garrosh.

She knew she had no chance of fighting the warrior. Hell, his muscles could beat her in a competition easily. However, her plan to escape fast was out of her grasp with his meaty hand grabbing her ankle in a mid-flip. He used his strength and her momentum against her, slamming her back first into the ground below him. The rogue cried out loudly in pain, seeing stars behind her eyes. She could not break and knew that instantly she was in pretty bad shape.

"You are trespassing and even more, you are weak in the eyes of the Horde! I am the Warchief now!" His voice boomed throughout her pain as Koraly laid under his shadow. The reverberating echo of boots on the wooden floors met her ears. Her eyes focused in and out with his words resounding in her head and the clanking of the boots meeting her sight fuzzily.

"Ma-…..Mazzy…." The elven voice gasped out, fingers twitching as hands grabbed at her. She closed her eyes from the pain, screwing them tight as all she wanted other than an escape was Mazgrim and Korgesh. She felt like death was perched on her shoulder, cackling at the long run she had brushing up against him in her life and during all three of the Horde Wars.

"Warchief! Are you alright? What do you want us to do with the intruder?" She noticed the voices sounded far off. Her head fell to the side, glancing at the table and bench that Garrosh's fist had nearly crushed through. The grunts that he had were incompetent. If he had nearly crushed a table, then she was sure that his guards had heard the fighting though at the moment she gasped through the pain, twitching experimentally to find what broke and what didn't.

"I'm fine, idiots!" His foot hit her few cracked ribs with a rough punt, tossing her body towards the guards near the front of the chambers. Her scream was paid no heed with her landing in front of the guards. He walked towards them, taking no note of her body on the floor before stepping on her ankle, crushing it beneath his weight and her upper thigh, cracking loudly for everyone to hear with his other foot, coming to stop in front of the guards that looked scared for their lives.

"GET THIS CARCASS OUT OF HERE! NOW!" He pointed at her body that was wracked and torn on the floor behind him. She was screaming until the shock hit her, blacking out from all the pain he inflicted. The guards scrambled, picking her up. Garrosh watched them take the weak thing out of his sight. The orc leader spat towards where her body had lain after his punt. As far as he was concerned, his men could take the spy and have her dead or leave her to die in an alley somewhere. He had no affection for spies and least of all, any affection for Koraly and her ilk of elves.

There were changes to be made to the Horde and as far as Garrosh thought, he was making all the right ones.

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The guards did not know what to do with Koraly Sunrose. She was considered a Horde ally still and there were no clear orders saying where she was to go, but a few of the men in the barracks had heard of the mercenary company she was part of. The guard captain, Misaza Wolfrunner, had taken her in her rooms, deciding sending a letter was the best thing she could do for the elf that laid injured heavily to Ambassador Allarya, the liason between the guard in the stronghold and the fortuitous mercenary company.

All she had time for was to wait.

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AN: So I got bit in the ass to write Koraly's reaction to Garrosh being in power and accidently waking him up. In my wow-verse, Kora is a spy in Stormwind, hiding in disguise under the king's nose for about seven years. (Wrath is set two years after Pre-bc.) She has a really fun background but perhaps that will get explained all in a wow fic later on. Tried to do Garrosh but I really really do hate the guy.

Anyway, Please Review!


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